Thanks for the patience. Here’s the raw data (transcribed and slightly edited):
From the mp3 file “the_ten_perfections_renunciation_endurance_equanimity”,
at 57’ 40”:
Q: From your essay, “The Power of Judgment”, 99.9% of the time we’re deluded, so we need guidance, we need people to [be able to] judge [rightly], like in your talks yesterday, how do you know it’s the right discernment [you’re using]; but is there a point, like in the Dhammapada or where-ever, that you are the refuge for yourself, the dhamma’s your refuge, equating the two, is there a point, like sotapatti, where you’re self-reliant, where you don’t need this external help?
A: [with sotapatti] you know what the path is, you know what the goal is at that point. Now, you still have some issues that you’re going to have to work out: you haven’t fully mastered concentration yet, you haven’t fully mastered your discernment yet, but you’ve had the experience, the guarantee this is the right path, because you’ve seen the Deathless, and the same time you realize, ok, this path I’m following is the path that leads there, the Buddha knows what he’s talking about, and you’ve got the sense of the path at that point.
Q: … today there’s so few qualified monastic teachers and everyone needs this guidance, needs someone to say ‘you’re going off the cliff’, and it’s very rare to get that guidance, but is there a point where you don’t need it anymore?
A: After stream-entry you’re safer.
Questioner: Well, let’s do it.
(This came at the end of an interesting series of questions, from about 47
minutes in the same mp3.)